When is the 8th Pay Commission? Government revealed the secret, wait for 2026 or 3 years!

If you are eagerly waiting for the 8th Pay Commission, then this news is special for you. Only one question is revolving in the minds of lakhs of central government employees – will the major changes in salary and pension be implemented from January 1, 2026?

The government has now given a clear answer on this. Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, while answering the questions in the Parliament on the implementation of the 8th Pay Commission, said that the government will decide the date. He assured that necessary funds will be fully arranged to implement the accepted recommendations.

It may take 3-6 more months, wait till 2027-28?

According to the latest report of ET, the 10-year period of the 7th Pay Commission is ending on December 31, 2025. But amid recent questions in Parliament, the government did not make any final announcement on the effective date. The Terms of Reference (ToR) for the 8th Central Pay Commission have been notified on 3 November 2025, in which the Commission has been given 18 months to submit the report. The report says that approval and notification may take another 3-6 months, meaning it may come into effect in late 2027 or early 2028.

When did the previous arrears occur, will history repeat itself?

• 7th CPC: Implemented in June 2016; Arrears from 1 January 2016
• 6th CPC: Approved in August 2008; Arrears since 1 January 2006
• 5th CPC: Formed in 1994; Implemented in 1997 (3.5 years delay)

Employee unions, including All India NPS Employees Federation President Manjit Singh Patel, are demanding payment of arrears from January 1, 2026 as per the old tradition. The government often excludes House Rent Allowance (HRA) from the arrears calculation, which saves the government a huge amount of money.

How much will basic pay and take-home increase? Know the statistics

Suppose basic pay is Rs 76,500 (with fitment factor 2.0). Currently, the take-home salary including DA and HRA is around Rs 1,43,820. When 8th CPC comes, it can directly reach Rs 1,94,310. Without HRA, the monthly arrears can be up to Rs 32,131 and with HRA it can be up to Rs 50,490. This could prove to be a game-changer for employees!